Thursday, January 11, 2007

The sideshow

With all the talk today on a troop surge in Iraq, I thought that I might do something different. I want to look at the bills that congress has proposed while the public is focused on Iraq.

Most of the bills were either stupid (HR 365) or made a statement such as commending James Brown or creating a stamp to raise Down syndrome awareness. Although my original assumption that Congress is busy at work wrecking markets and taking away freedom, there was one shinning star.

Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn has introduced a bill that will reduce federal spending by 2% in all non-defense and homeland security discretionary categories (HR 374). Across the board cuts are prudent because it takes away the political infighting that can occur when some members feel that their districts and issues are treated unfairly.

Here are some of the lowlights.

H.R.365
Title: To provide for a research program for remediation of closed methamphetamine production laboratories, and for other purposes.

H.CON.RES.25
Title: Expressing the sense of Congress that it is the goal of the United States that, not later than January 1, 2025, the agricultural, forestry, and working land of the United States should provide from renewable resources not less than 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States and continue to produce safe, abundant, and affordable food, feed, and fiber.

H.R.361
Title: To amend the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000 to authorize additional projects and activities under that Act, and for other purposes.

H.R.368
Title: To amend title II of the Social Security Act to allow workers who attain age 65 after 1981 and before 1992 to choose either lump sum payments over four years totaling $5,000 or an improved benefit computation formula under a new 10-year rule governing the transition to the changes in benefit computation rules enacted in the Social Security Amendments of 1977, and for other purposes.


H.R.370
Title: To promote coal-to-liquid fuel activities.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well, I, for one, am glad that "something" is finally getting done about meth labs. Lots more needs to be done but at least it's a step in the right direction!